


Like Clockwork

by cher



Category: The Watchmaker of Filigree Street - Natasha Pulley
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 06:49:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17699624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cher/pseuds/cher
Summary: Sensory associations can be a difficult thing.





	Like Clockwork

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Synergic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Synergic/gifts).



Thaniel had developed an unfortunate reaction to the smell of lemon. 

It made his blood run hot and his colour—amongst other less mentionable things—rise. Even with it being such a common scent, lately he still managed to be taken unawares, and often at inconvenient times and in inconvenient places. Perhaps its effect was so powerful as to be impossible to prepare oneself for, even if he did manage to anticipate it. 

It was thanks to Keita's favourite soap and the way it had made itself so inexorably a part of his scent, of course. As mortifying as the effects of the aroma could be, Thaniel wouldn't trade it. It was odd; Thaniel used the same soap now, and so ought to be innoculated against the smell, but Keita's usual way of interfering with cause and effect seemed to have gotten in the way again. 

Thaniel caught him about to throw out the creamy, beautiful bars of lemon soap once. He had a little stack of the brand of unscented, horrible, harsh stuff Thaniel had used to use, back in his old room, and he was putting them away in their little washroom. 

When Thaniel asked him why—always a fascinating exercise—Keita cleared his throat and looked carefully at him, in the way he did when he was trying to gauge how much of the truth to tell. How much of the truth Thaniel would stand for, before he walked out. Thaniel hated it and kept trying to show with word and thought and deed that there wasn't such a truth in all of England, or Japan either, or probably anywhere at all. It seemed to be working; Thaniel saw less of those assessing looks as the months went on. 

It turned out that this occasion had less to do with Keita's usual worry over his peculiar ability, and more to do with Thaniel's Englishness. Thaniel would have said his prudery, but Keita would never say such a thing, having such a terrible history of being obliged to shape his behaviour for the benefit of the world around him and wishing that Thaniel should never say the same. Keita coughed again, and murmured that he'd recently realised about the effect of the lemon scent, and didn't like to embarrass Thaniel in public. 

Thaniel took up the dreadful old bars of soap and wrapped them up swiftly for Six to distribute to her friends. 

"If you change what you smell like, I'll just have the same problem, multiplied," Thaniel told him, and walked Keita backward into their bedroom. The reaction wasn't always unfortunate, after all. 


End file.
